Needle-threading attachment for sewing-machines.



v R. A. SCRANTON. NEEDLE THREADING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1912.

Patented Apr. 22, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1 3 w ue/wtoz 30168716 z5 c7aylw GHQ 0110A R. A. SGRANTON.

NEEDLE THBEADING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AYE. 11, 1912.

Patented @1122, 1913.

3 m W H v i 3 3 i V R. A. SGRANTON.

NEEDLE THREADING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION TILED APP..11.1912.

1,059,641 Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

a SHEBTSSHBBT 3.

"Hill-Hill Q) mum-In." milll! 5 nuenlioz ifoey t fldc my? ROBERT A. scnAnron, oE NEW YORK, n. Y.', AssIeNoE; BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE IMPERIAL SEWING- mAcHIn COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

NEEDLE-THREAD ING' ATTACHMENT FORSEWING-MAGHINES.

Patented A 22, wire.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. SCRANTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle- Threading Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanically operated means for threading the needle of a sewing machine.

An important object of this invention is to provide means of the above mentioned character, which may .be set into operation at any time without interfering with the operation of the sewing machine, and which will quickly thread the needle during the operation of the sewing machine.

A further object of the invention is to' provide a needle threading device of the above mentioned character,.which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, reliable in operation, and not liable to derangements.

A further object of the invention is to prov vide means of the above mentioned character, which are automatic in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the head of a sewing machine equipped with my improved needle threading device, Fig. 2 is a front end view of the same, the front plate of the head being removed, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the head of the sewing machine, showing the operating elements therein in elevation, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an operating bell-crank lever, Fig.

- 5 is a similar view of an actuating lever, Fig.

16 is a similar view of the lower end of the head of the sewing machine showing one coacting part of the needle threading means, Fig. 7 is a similar view of the other co-acting part ofthe needle threading means, Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the two co-acting parts included in the needle threadin means, Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the evice or part shown in'Fig. 7 Fig. 10 a front end designates a bracket-arm of a sewing machine, carrying at its end a vertical head or frame 2, within which bracket-arm extends a horizontal operating shaft 3 having rigid connection with a cam 4. Extending vertically through the head 2 is a spring-;

pressed presser bar 5, carrying a presser foot 6 and elevated by acam lever 7, as is customary.

The numeral8 designates a reciprocatory needle bar, which is driven by the cam 4 through suitable driving connecting means 9. The needle bar 8 carries a needle 10, as shown. p

The cam 4 is provided with a groove 11, for receiving the inner end of an element 12, carried by a pivoted lever or take-up 13.-

The numeral 14.- designates the thread which is passed through an apertured extension or guide 15, between spring pressed plates 16 of a tension device, a fixed guide 17 disposed near the tension device, upwardly through an opening 18 in the free end of the lever 13, a fixed guide 19 at the lower end of the head 2 and then through the eye of the needle.

At its upper end the head 2 has a vertical opening formed therein for receivin a push button 20, connected with a depen ing rod 21 and urged upwardly by a compressible coil spring 22. The lower end of the rod 21 engages one end of a swinging actuating lever 23, which is pivoted, as shown at 24. The opposite end of the actuating lever 23 engages a finger or pin 25, which is mount ed to reciprocate within an opening 26 of anenlarged head, which is formed upon the short horizontal arm of an operating bellcrank lever 27. This operating bell-crank lever is pivoted as shown at 28. The actuating lever 23 is adapted to move the finger or pm 25 into a groove 29 formed upon the cam 4, such groove having a sharp laterally extending portion 30 ad yacent to which is a shoulder 31, as shown. The fin eror pin 25 is moved out of the groove 29 y a compressible coil spring 32. The Operating bellcrank lever 27 has its lo vertical arm provided between its ends with a lateral eatension or lug 33 and the same has its lower portion "bent horizontally, as shown at 34 and provided with a forked head 35, for a purpose to be explained.

Rigidly connected with the lower end of the head 2 near and forwardly of the needle bar 8 is a depending arm or rod 36, carrylng at its lower end a. preferably substantially horizontally arranged .casin or; shell 37, as

of the casing 37 is a thread engaging spring 41, preferab y having the shape, as shown,

and having its cla'mping portions 42 disposed adjacent the lower opening 40. The casing 37 is provided with an axial opening 43, for receiving a reciprocatory plunger 44,

carrying at one end a needle plunger 45,

which in turn has its free end forked to receive the thread therethrough. The needle plunger 45 is sufficiently small -in diameter to pass through the eye 46 of the needle 10, as shown in Fig. 8. Rigidly connected with the, plunger'44 is a horizontal extension or pin 47, operating within a horizontal slot 48 formed in the casing 37, as shown. The pin 47 prevents any turning of the plunger 44 in the casin 37, The forked head 35 of the operating ell-crank lever 27 straddles the extension or pin 47.

Rigidly connected with the lower end of the head 2 and upon the opposite side of the needle bar 8 from the depending rod or arm 36, is a depending rod or post 49, carrying a horizontal shaft 50, to which is pivotally connected between its ends a. vertically swinging lever 51. The lever 51 is urged upwardly by a coil-spring 52 mounted upon the shaft 50 and having one end thereof engaging the lever 51 and the other end engaging the post 49, as shown. Formed upon the lower end of the lever 51 is a substantially IL-shaped horizontal shell or casing 53, having an axial opening 54 formed therein. The L-shaped casing 53 is provided at its free end with openings or recesses 55, to receive the needle 10. Disposed withinthe opening 54 of the casing 53 is a swinging thread engaging finger 56, pivoted as shown at 57, and operating through a longitudinal slot 58 in thecasing 53. At its ree end the finger 56 is provided with a hook 59 for engagement with the thread. The finger 56 is provided with a lateral extension 60, engaged by a compressible coilspring 61.

The operation of the device is as follows :If the thread should break during the operation of the sewingmachine, the machlne is permitted to continue its operation and the free end of the thread is placed in the beveled openings 39 and 40 of the ment .or so.

casing 37. This having been done the but ton 20 is pressed which brings the pin 25 into the groove 29, which is done when the needle is in the lower portion of its-travel.-

When the needle reaches the upper portion of its travel the pin 25 will engage in the laterally off-set portion 30 of the groove 29, whereby said in will be quickly moved laterally when tlie needlelO is in its uppermost-position where'it is at restfor a mo- When this takes place the lower end of the operating lever 27 is swung toward the needle, causing the plunger 44 to move in this direction whereby the needle plunger 45 is passed through the eye 46 of f the needle, pushing the thread through such eye; When the operating lever 27 181311118 swung toward the needle 10 the extension or lug 33 engages the upper end of the lever 51,- causing it to swing toward .the needle, whereby the needle 10 will engage within the. rece'ss 55 of the casing 53, as shown in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 8 the hooked end of the arm 56 is disposed adjacent the free end of the-needle plunger 45, which is in engagement with the thread. It is thus seen that when the casing 53 is moved away from the needle, that the spring 61 will movethe fin- "ger 56 inwardly so that its hooked end will engage the thread and further pull it through the needle eye. It is obvious that upon further rotation of the cam 4 the operating lever 27 will be swung away from the needle and extension or lug 33 will disengage'the upperend of lever 51, at which time the spring 52 will quickly swing the lever 51 away from the needle, such lever 51 carrying the casing 53 with it, for the purpose above described. The button 20 is kept depressed until theoperation is completed.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as apreferred example of the same, and that certain changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be re- 0 sorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 2' I 1. The combination with a sewing machine having an eyed needle, of a movable element to pass the thread through the needle eye, an operating lever to move the element, means operated by a movable part 120 of the sewing machine to move the operating lever, a device to engage the thread after it has passed through the needle eye, a spring to quickly move said device away from the needle, and means moved by the 125 operating lever to move said device in opposltion to the spring toward said needle.

2. The combination with a sewing machine having an eyed needle, of a thread engaging device disposed near th needle, :1

table cam provided-with a groove having a laterally off-set portion, a device {to pass the thread through the needle eye, a pivoted operating bell-crank lever to move the 'device, a pin shdably mounted in an opening formed through the bell-crank lever, a.

spring to oppose the movement of the pin intothe groove, a pivoted actuating lever engaging the pin, and manually operated means including a push element to swing the actuating lever.

4. The combination with a sewing maphine having an eyed needle, of a device to pass the thread through the needle eye, and a co-acting device to engage the thread after it'is passed through the needle eye, saiddevice comprising a casing, and a springpressed pivoted element having one end in the form of a hook, and .-means to simultaneously move theco-acting devices,

5. The combination witha sewing machine having an eyed needle,of a device to pass the thread through the needle eye, a co-acting device to engage the thread after it is past the needle eye, said co-acting device compr-isin a bodily movable supporting portion an a thread engaging element pivoted thereto, and means to move the coacting devices.

6. he combmatlon w1th a sewing machine having an eyed needle, of a device to,

pass the thread through the needle eye, a co-acting device to engage the thread after it is passed through the needle eye, said coacting device comprising a bodily movable supporting portion and a finger pivoted therein and moved in one direction by a spring, means operated by a movable part of the sewing machine to operate the first named device, and means operable. with said means to operate the said oo-acting device.

7. The combination with a sewing machine having an eyed needle, ofa device to pass the thread through the needle eye, a thread engaging device dis osed' in cooperative relation to the nee lo, a s ring to quickly move the thread engaging evice as a whole in one direction away from the needle to impart a drawing movement tothe thread, and means operated by a movable part of the sewing machines to move the thread engaging device in the opposite. direction.

8. The combination with a. sewing machine having an eyed needle, of a device to pass the thread throu h the needle eye, a movable lever operat by a movable part of the sewing machine and adapted to o eratesaid device, a substantially vertical y swin ing lever having its pivot oint disose -a considerable distance a ove said evice, and adapted to be operated by said movable lever, automatic means to move said swingin lever in a direction opposite to that in which it is moved by said movable lever, and a thread engaging co-acting device carried by the swingmg'lever.

9. The combination with a sewing machine having an eyed needle,of a device to pass the thread through the needle eye, a

co-acting device to engage the thread after it is passed through the needle-eye including a tubular bod portion adapted to receive a portion 0 the-first named device and a thread-catching element movably mounted therein, and means to move said devices toward th needle.

10. The combination with a sewing machine having an eyed needle, of a device to pass the thread through the needle eye, a vertically swinging lever pivoted at its upper end a considerable distance above said device, automatic means to swing the lower end ofthe pivoted lever away from the needle, a co-acting thread engaging device carried by the lower portion of the ivoted lever, and means operated by a mova 1e element ofthe sewing machine to movesaid devices toward the needle.- I

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, ROBERT A. SGRANTON. Witnesses:

RQBKA E. Kn'cn, AUSTIN Demon. 

